


Shadows

by ohmyitschatnoir



Category: Miraculous Ladybug, Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir
Genre: Adrinette, Fluff, I said marinette instead of adrinette, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, Marinette - Freeform, Reverse roles, Some Fluff, adrienette - Freeform, basically all four ships between adrien and mari, hm they are, hope its not too sad, i apologize for possible character death, i hope it wont be at least, im hoping this wont turn out too bad, inspired by a single song, kind of sad, ladrien, lets begin shall we fo l k s, may not be exactly what you expect but oh well, maybe a few kisses, might be some violence but not very graphic, no sin, not superheroes anymore, poor!adrien, poor!marinette, songs are inspirational arent they, they arent lonely forever i promise, this is my attempt at writing in about two years, this wont be that long either
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-04
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-06-06 06:59:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6744157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohmyitschatnoir/pseuds/ohmyitschatnoir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Ready?" She said in a hushed whisper.</p><p>"I hope so," He replied, "On three."</p><p>"One,"</p><p>"Two,"</p><p>"Three."<br/>//</p><p>In which Marinette, a poor teenage girl, tries to find something to eat among the streets of Paris and finds something unexpected hidden within the shadows</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. snowflakes

**Author's Note:**

> []  
> hope you enjoy! (;
> 
> //please note that this fanfiction does not contain Ladybug and Chat Noir, their superhero forms do not exist in this au!

Marinette stared at the television, the poor quality and static making her head pound. The winter never was the greatest, mainly because of the freezing weather. White flakes made their way into the narrow alleyway, but they did not reach the blue-eyed girl. The scarf she wore around her neck held up its pathetic attempt to keep her neck warm. Under her cheap, black coat, was a simple white shirt, which was decently comfortable. Her jeans seemed to suffer with the red and black polka-dotted scarf, failing to keep her legs anywhere near warm. Neither did her beaten-up sneakers, which replaced the pink slip on shoes she wore in the summer (those were in a slightly better condition, but still pretty beaten-up). Her small tarp protected her from the little devils that chilled her to the bone.

The flakes, each unique in its own way, always failed to reach her. Especially after she set up the makeshift roof.

Was it even a roof? Marinette’s little area didn’t even have complete walls. The only walls she had, if you could even count them as walls, were the sides of the alleyway with the dead end. The walls themselves were not in the best shape. Can walls even get that dirty? The bricks that, Marinette was sure at one point, were beautifully placed and didn’t have a speck of dirt on them, now had gotten themselves a nice coat of dirt, piled on another coat, and another coat.

The bricks are probably warmer than she is.

That’s so unfair.

The tiny piece of fabric that Marinette had adopted wrapped around her skinny frame, attempting to protect her from the chill of the mid-winter breeze and the crisp air.

Tiny clouds continuously appeared right below her nose, where her breath met the air, meeting the same chilly fate that Marinette was in. Boxes and a small, flat pillow lay around Marinette, as her eyes glared at the screen in front of her.

How she managed to have a television and have access to channels when she only had a few euros? Don’t ask, because you are going to find out anyway.

The people who owned one of the walls of her alleyway (building, if you will) gave her access to the channels, of course, since she found the television somewhere. It was the least they could do to help her. The people of this wall, Wall One, were much nicer than Wall Two. The people of Wall Two weren’t very kind.

 _Ha_ , Marinette was still talking to herself. Heck, she _named two walls._

Marinette was not exactly the most average person out there. She was poor—very poor. Her family lived near her, in the nearest alleyway. Marinette preferred to live by herself. She could do whatever she wanted with her space, and it was not as cramped as it was when she lived with her parents. Even though on her birthday every year, her parents would buy her a nice loaf of bread from the bakery near them. They would all share it together, celebrating a good day, and nothing could ruin it, even rain or the flakes. They still celebrated the event, but the family was not as close as it once had been.

Marinette stared blankly at the television, watching the news as they reported the current conditions, if it was severe or not, and so on. The white devil flakes, or the snow, would most likely continue falling till around midday tomorrow. Marinette had to survive an entire day with these things.

It could be worse, she thought. It could be an entire storm, I could be completely starving since I can’t go out. I’ll get freezing, and she’ll be completely miserable.  
Marinette stared at the news for a few more minutes, deciding on what to do. Wandering the streets at nighttime is not the brightest idea. Marinette didn’t want to be kidnapped, even though her life was not the greatest at the moment.

Being poor brought a new view to living, although. You begin to care for everything. Everything is valuable, even if it is as small as a tiny little ant to something as large as family.

Marinette sometimes found the freedom of it… endearing. It may be one of the worst lives, but Marinette sometimes enjoyed it. She may not have the most amount of money, and she may be as skinny as hell, but that didn’t change the fact that this was Marinette’s life. It was hers, she could do whatever she wanted with it.  
Marinette’s focus turned back to the news.

Yet, as _interesting_ as the news was, the seventeen-year-old girl’s stomach growled. It was a normal occurrence for her to be hungry. She was poor, what would you expect? But, this growl was loud, and Marinette was famished.

Marinette hated to leave her little alleyway, especially when the white little devils floated toward the ground. It gave her more chills than she needed, not that she needed any at all, and made her feel like a block of ice as she would slowly move down the alley.

And so, with this dreaded thought in mind, Marinette slowly came to a stand. She sighed, and a tiny little cloud of air shot out beneath her nose. This was inevitable, but that did not mean she did not want to do it. She had to at least give her stomach something, so that is what she would do. She would scavenge.

Marinette wandered the sidewalks, which were not as busy as they usually were midday; packed with tourists, students roaming around during lunch periods, and some other regular Parisians who just walked around.

Marinette rarely begged. She was very stubborn, and wanted to get everything herself. She would owe someone if they gave her something to help her, and the guilt consumed her body when she concluded it was near impossible for her to pay them back.

She sighed, the small cloud of air appearing once again, but slightly bigger. The black haired girl continued to wander around, occasionally looking if she could find anything at all. Soon enough, she spotted something to the side of her vision.

The seventeen-year-old wasn’t so big on stealing. But if it had to be done, then it had to be done. So that’s what happened.

The man, very chubby if you must know, had a five euros sticking out of his pocket. Now, if you wanted a list of tempting things, then that is one of them.

Marinette just had to steal it. She could buy so much food in her eyes with that small little number. She would not have to leave her little area for a little while, which meant she could avoid the flakes that landed on her shoulders and gave her the chills that coursed through her body.

Not only that, but there were no cameras around. Plus, the only other people around besides the chubby man and Marinette were chubby’s friends, who were walking alongside him.

Blue eyes peering through the shadows, and she walked near the man. Her eyes glittered at the money in his back pocket. It was practically begging to be stolen!

Stolen is not really the world Marinette would use. Maybe something along the lines of… _‘giving’_ money to a poor teenager?

And so, with one quick motion, Marinette sprinted out of the shadows, her beaten up red scarf with black dots trailing behind her. The scarf was pulled up so it covered her nose and all the way down to where it was wrapped around small neck.

Poor little clouds, probably trapped within the scarf.

She sprinted as fast as she could, hoping to grab the money and then sprint as if her life depended on it. The event seemed to go much slower to her, or maybe she was just very slow. She took the euros out of his pocket quickly, and sprinted away blindly throughout the streets of Paris.

The man didn’t even notice, it seems. No shouting, and with a quick glance behind her before she turned the corner, the man did not show any expression of frustration, annoyance, or whatever emotion you feel when someone steals your money.

Marinette, soon slowing down, looked at her surroundings.

She did not exactly… like this part of Paris. Many people tended to lurk here, and it made her nervous. This side of Paris was not the rich side, if you wish to call it. Although, Marinette still visited here from time to time. Not everyone here made her feel very nervous. Some people were very kind.

Marinette decided to wander around for a little, clutching onto the euros she stole like her life depended on it.

It kind of did.

It saved her from the white flakes.

Marinette smiled slightly at that thought, and continued wandering around. She met a few old friends, chatted for a bit, and left shortly after.  
Marinette started to panic soon, since night was very close and she did not want to be left wandering to her alleyway in the dark with only the moon to guide her.

She tried to find the way out.

Soon, Marinette wasn’t sure how long, the blue eyes of the teenager caught something. An alley.

Marinette was surprised. She knew almost all of Paris, since she wandered around during the summer to try and catch a breeze, but stayed hidden within the shadows along the buildings.

How had she not noticed this before?

She may not visit this place often, but she knew everything about it.

The once familiar urge got caught in her chest.

No, something always happens. I can’t, she thought.

Marinette stood there, eyes locked on the alley. She could not stop staring at the dark shadows that hung over it.

No, she was not obsessed with alleyways. Or walls, for that matter. Even though Marinette did not have a home, she grew up wandering alleyways looking for food or other useful items. The familiar brick walls gave her a sense of warmth, despite the chilly weather in the winter.

Her stomach growled once again, begging desperately for anything. The urge, which Marinette titled adventure, swelled up inside her chest again.

Should I? The outcome can’t be that bad, I might even find something useful! I might find… more food, Marinette pondered.

That convinced her body _(mostly her stomach)_ to start moving towards the alley, the feeling of adventure jolting through her body, filling her with excitement and curiosity. She always had this feeling whenever she found something new, and in her view, it was the best feeling in the world.

The alley was decently dark, not much light filtering through the small space above. Maybe it was just because it was almost night. She panicked a little at the thought, but told herself not to worry.

It would be all right, she felt.

Marinette’s curious eyes slowly adjusted to the dimness. She jumped at the sound of rustling to the right of her, in a small pile of trash. Marinette took a deep breath.

“Who’s there?” She spoke into nothing, but did not yell.

Marinette continued to peer into the darkness, blue eyes blinking, sparkling with excitement and fear.

Her stomach rumbled once again, reminding her that she came out in the first place to get food. Maybe it was just some animal rummaging through that trash pile that she noticed before.

Marinette soon dismissed the noise, and looked around for some type of food as well. She walked around for ten minutes, examining the floor and the walls for any sign of nourishment. She mentally groaned when she failed to find anything.

Food was still important. It did not matter if she had found this much money, remember, it was given to that lone seventeen-year-old girl, she still needed food. The shops around Paris were most likely closed by now, or at least the ones who sell food that would be filling.

After those ten minutes, she heard more shuffling, but behind her. Marinette panicked a little—what if it wasn’t an animal? Was she just about to get murdered or kidnapped?

Snapping out of her thoughts, Marinette snapped backward, eyes wide, expecting to see someone with a gun or knife, but there was no one. Instead, a small piece of bread and a small bar of chocolate sat where she had already looked many times before.

How did it get there? Did she just pass over the food?

She couldn’t make that mistake again if so. She was already staying out too long, much longer than she intended to. The sun was probably set by now, and even though she tried to reassure herself it would be fine earlier, she still couldn’t help but panic. So Marinette grabbed the bread and chocolate. She started to run towards the exit, terrified of what was hidden in those trash piles. Before she left though, she couldn’t resist giving one last glance down the alley, blue eyes blown wide.

She was right. There _was_ someone there.

Blue met green.


	2. kittens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Marinette runs away from an individual with green eyes and finds a comfort source.

The two pairs of eyes stared at each other. The slimy walls of the alley, the horrendous smell of the trash Marinette unearthed, and the little to nonexistent light; none of it seemed to faze the two. Marinette’s heart pounded. What was that? Marinette couldn’t help but fear the green eyes would try to harm her. She stiffened and called out to the stranger, “Who’s there?”

Silence met her question. The green eyes continued to stare intensely at her, and she shivered. The uncomfortable gaze of the stranger wouldn’t go away. After continuing to hold the stare for a few minutes, Marinette saw something flicker within the deep, endless green. They suddenly seemed much softer, and a rustle seemed to awaken Marinette. The green eyes’ owner appeared to turn around, and soon disappeared from sight. Marinette soon held a gaze with the darkness of the alley, and the girl shivered once again.

She pulled her scarf further up her face. Why was it suddenly getting so cold?

Realization dawned over Marinette. It was snowing, and the sun was long gone from Paris’s view. Marinette had made a mistake.

Was the scarf going to be enough? All Marinette could do was hope it would be. To assure her drumming heart a little, she untied the scarf, careful to still hold it up to her face. Marinette held it up to her face, just below the eyes, and tied it really tight at the back of her head. Hopefully, if anyone saw her, all they would see of her face was her eyes.

Marinette took a step back, and sprinted away from that alleyway. She shouldn’t have ever gone in there in the first place. What was she thinking? It could have gone much worse! Marinette reminded herself to never come near the thing again.

Her eyes caught a brick wall that was falling apart, but appeared to be somewhat stable. At least, that’s what Marinette hoped. The crevices and cracks were plentiful; it should be fairly easy.

Tucking her small hands into one of the fissures, she boosted herself upward and stuck her hands into another split in the brick. Her worn out, dull red sneakers caught a crack as well, which gave her more confidence at climbing the wall. Marinette continued the process, and was successfully scaling the wall as if she had been doing it all her life. The feeling occurred to be very natural to her.

The top of the building held an even chillier air than below in the alleyway, but that didn’t bother Marinette in the slightest bit. In fact, it was extremely refreshing, and soon enough the girl was hopping between buildings. The freedom that came with the air swishing around her, and the snowflakes falling slowly across Paris… it was a drug to her body. Marinette absolutely was addicted to it in the few moments of hopping across the buildings.

There was a call from the streets below, and it sounded slightly threatening. Marinette ignored it, nothing could ruin this moment she was living in. The person who called would not even be able to see who was beneath the ladybug print scarf, and even though her blue eyes glinted through the darkness of the night, how would they figure her out? A lot of people in Paris had blue eyes.

The moment was becoming her favorite, and the feeling became to feel even more natural. Why hadn’t Marinette been doing this her entire life? Turning her head to catch a small glimpse of Paris, her mood suddenly became dull as she spotted the familiar green eyes through the moonlight, and it seemed has if the person was running along beside a building by her.

Was this green-eyed individual stalking her? The thought angered her, and she became furious as it dampened the happiness and freedom of the moment she was having before.

Who was this person to kill her mood?

Marinette hissed under her breath. Her heavy breathing suddenly hit her, and the scarf felt as if it was becoming tighter and tighter. The stupid thing seemed as if it was suffocating her, and Marinette suddenly was having struggle leaping between the buildings. She skidded to a halt, her sneakers kicking up dust from the old, decaying building she decided to stop upon. The green eyes continued to hop along, as if the person thought she was still running across the buildings of Paris. Marinette came to notice the shortness of breath and wheezing that crashed into her like a gigantic wave at the beach. How long had she been hopping across the buildings? Taking a glance towards the sky, the glooms of black coming from the sinking moon scattered across the sky. It calmed Marinette a little, the peaceful, but dull, moonlight shining its way through the atmosphere onto the weakly lit Paris. Warmth settled in Marinette’s heart, and she let out a sigh.

The chilling winter air gushed into her lungs, and gave Marinette a fresh feeling. Continuing to take deep breaths, she stared out into the sky blankly. The attempt to calm her nerves was working at first, until she closed her eyes for a moment. Those green eyes stared at her, and Marinette shot her eyes open immediately. It was about time she went to her alley anyway.  

Chills racing throughout her body, Marinette continued to race along the rooftops. The light of the slightly dim Eiffel Tower was able to give her little guidance, with the assistance of the moon. Glancing from her sides often, Marinette could not find any more trace of the green eyes and sighed in relief. But, that did not stop the cold feeling spreading over her body.

Marinette soon decided that it might be easier if she finished her journey to her little haven on solid earth. Slowing to a halt on a short building, Marinette peered over the edge. Her body soared when there were plenty of footholds within the bricks of the building, and tossed one leg over the edge. The cheap metal bar wobbled a little under the small weight, and it felt as if it would snap in a moment. Quickening her pace, Marinette swung her other leg over, and started to climb down. She was lucky multiple times as she descended, slipping a few times and incorrectly choosing the wrong path to go. Marinette’s soft hands were soon enough rough and blistered by the time she got down, and minor cuts scattered across the palms from the cracked bricks. Marinette’s mood was dampened even further than it was before as she noticed she was in an abandoned side street, graffiti littering the walls and a foul-smelling stench spread throughout the area. Marinette wrinkled her nose in disgust, and headed on to her sanctuary.

Marinette’s blood chilled and her heart stopped beating when her footsteps seemed to mute themselves and she could hear others steps walking behind her. She froze, and slowly reached her hand down to her red sneakers. Pulling the sharp pocketknife out of her shoe, Marinette peaked out of the corner of her eye. She did not see anything, and that frightened her a little more than she already was.

Counting to three in her head, Marinette spun around wildly, air whistling around her, and came face-to-face with—

A kitten?

The piercing amber eyes and white-and-black spotted fur caught her attention, and Marinette relaxed slowly. The tenseness left her body, and Marinette crouched down. Holding her hand out slowly, she waited as the kitten seemed to stare through her. Slowly, the little animal stalked forward, and rubbed its nose against Marinette’s palm. The girl fully sat down, and the kitten gradually made its way onto her lap, where it curled up. Marinette reached up and scratched behind its ears, and the kitten let out a content meow. It snuggled further into her legs, and warmth spread through Marinette as she resisted the urge to aw at the cat.

Marinette put the knife back into its little casing and stuck it back into her sneaker, covering it with the bottom of her cheap, worn out black jeans. Picking it up gingerly, Marinette carried it all the way back to her little area and set it down. Taking a few of her thin blankets, she made a little cushioned area for the kitten next to her bed and set the cat down inside of it. The kitten curled up, tail over nose, and closed its eyes. The cat’s ears were still perked up in case something were to sneak upon it in the middle of the night, and one eye remained open very slightly. Marinette felt safe in the presence of the kitten, as if the little thing was able to protect her from the dangers outside. With that thought, a warm feeling spread throughout her, despite the cold seeping into her bones from the snow and the moonlight shining upon the pair.

Marinette sat vigil for the night, the uneasiness coming back when she went to go to sleep. The mood that hung in the air was slightly unsettling, and it stirred the sleeping kitten from time to time. Marinette jumped when something soft pushed into her thigh, and a warm body lie in her lap. Looking down, the little kitten was sitting there, as if to reassure her that everything would be okay. Marinette stared at the kitten, and pondered on why it chose to trust her.

“Do you have a name?” Marinette whispered to the kitten as if it could understand her. The piercing amber eyes lifted up to hers, and stared. It wasn’t as nerve-wrecking as it had been with the green eyes. The kitten opened its mouth slowly, and let out a short _meow._

Marinette giggled a little at its cuteness, and lifted her head to stare down the alley once again. The kitten’s black and white fur caught her attention, and yet another question drifted into her mind.

“How about… are you male or female?” Marinette stuck out her left hand as if to signal male, and her right hand for female. The kitten stared at her weirdly, and poked its soft muzzle into her left hand. “Alright, male it is. Now, how about a name?”

The kitten continued to gaze at her, and Marinette shifted her sitting position a little. “How about…” Marinette thought for a moment, “Yin Yang?” The cat licked its paw, as if it was satisfied with its chosen name that Marinette had given him. Or maybe Marinette was just thinking that.

Yin Yang fell asleep in her lap a little while later, and Marinette’s vigilant stillness ended the chatter. The moonlight still failed to brighten up the cramped alley, but the sun was due to rise soon.

Marinette sat up straighter as a small ray of sunlight made its way through the small opening in the little area, and silently cried with joy. Another night had passed, and Marinette was still living.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
> 
> school's almost over
> 
> its a great day
> 
> btw, this story will most likely have short chapters, and it'll most likely not be that long bc there isnt too much plot but just enough for a short story in my opinion ;t
> 
> my tumblr is ohmyitschatnoir ^-^

**Author's Note:**

> [come visit my tumblr ^-^] > http://ohmyitschatnoir.tumblr.com/
> 
> constructive criticism is very much appreciated- i want to learn my mistakes and fix them!
> 
> welp, there you go c; haven't written in such a long time.
> 
> expect kind of slow updates


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